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In Seanne's stead

Two years after her son was accidentally shot to death by a classmate, Jeanne Caroline stands in front of a group of youngsters to share the gun safety message he can't.

By CHRIS TISCH
Published May 28, 2005

	[Times photos: Lara Cerri]
	Jeanne Caroline, whose son Sean "Seanne" Caroline II was accidentally shot to death, is joined by Sean's friend Kelsey Cotter, 14, during a speech to youth campers at Indian Rocks Beach City Hall.
	Ben Meares, 10, of Largo reacts with other children during Friday's gun safety presentation at Indian Rocks Beach City Hall.
	Children listening to Jeanne Caroline's presentation Friday look at pictures of her son. "I learned you should never, ever touch a gun," one 9-year-old in the audience said afterward.
	One reckless moment, a lifetime of emptiness (10/12/03)

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH - Jeanne Caroline couldn't sleep Thursday night. In her head, she rehearsed what she would tell the children. At one point, she even got in front of a mirror to practice her speech, but thought she looked silly and stopped.

When her nerves still bucked Friday morning, she prayed to her dead son: "Seanne, be with me today."

It has been nearly two years since Caroline's 12-year-old son was accidentally shot to death by a classmate. In that time, Caroline has become an advocate for gun safety. She started a Web site in her son's name and has pushed state lawmakers for a gun lock law.

On Friday afternoon, Caroline summoned the courage to do something she has wanted to do since her son's death: She told young children about it.

"Seanne died instantly," Caroline told 80 Pinellas summer camp youngsters. "He didn't have a chance."

Caroline said she believes speaking to kids will help her heal and cope with the loss of Seanne (pronounced Shawn-ee, a nickname for her son, Sean Caroline II.) She also said she believes her message will save lives, meaning her son's death wasn't in vain.

Never a public speaker, Caroline was breezy and smooth for the first 10 minutes of her program, in which she talked about gun safety in general.

When she finally showed a large picture of Seanne in his baseball uniform, her voice cracked and her eyes moistened.

"Seanne was shot and killed 20 months ago," Caroline said.

She quickly gained her composure and continued with the program, which was held at Indian Rocks Beach City Hall. Tears spilled from a few children in the audience. Some put hands over their mouths. Others just quietly stared straight ahead.

The children, who are attending a YMCA summer camp, ranged in age from about 5 to 14.

They winced when Caroline, dressed in blue jeans and a T-shirt with her son's photo on the front, played a copy of the 911 call from the boy who shot Seanne. Photos of her son scrolled on a television screen as the tape played.

"He's dead," the boy screams into the phone. "I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry."

That boy, Louis Mevec, then 14, was charged with manslaughter and sent to a boy's village for several months. He has since moved out of state.

"He'll have to live the rest of his life knowing that he killed my son," Caroline told the children.

Caroline didn't mention that the boy's father, who also is named Louis Mevec, was convicted of culpable negligence and sentenced last summer to almost three years in prison. The senior Mevec left a loaded handgun under his couch, where his son found it.

The boy later brought Seanne, a Largo Middle School seventh-grader, and some other boys to the home. He pulled out the gun and unloaded the bullets, but didn't realize one round remained in the gun. When he pointed the gun at Seanne and pulled the trigger, it fired a bullet into his head, killing him.

Caroline also told the children of a recent shooting in Clearwater in which a boy accidentally shot his brother. Caroline said she is especially troubled by that case because she thinks at least one of the boys knew Seanne and attended his funeral.

The boy who was shot in that case, Christopher Ford, 17, remains in grave condition at a local hospital. His brother and another boy who provided him the gun both face criminal charges.

Caroline said she was careful to craft her presentation in a way that did not criticize gun owners. But she urged children who have seen guns in their home or in friends' homes to tell adults to store them safely. She also told the children they should never touch a gun.

Four friends of Seanne helped with the program by telling the children how much they missed him. Two broke down in sobs, which resonated with many of the kids in the audience.

"I thought it was sad because they lost somebody they really love," Joey Nikolich, a 9-year-old in the audience, said later. "I learned you should never, ever touch a gun."

Craig Lawrence, the summer camp's child care director, also stood before the "That's how real it is, guys," Lawrence said through tears.

When Caroline finished the program, the children gave her an ovation. Some kids murmured to friends how they never wanted to touch a gun.

Caroline said she was relieved she made it through, and said she hopes to speak to more groups.

"I hope what I say opens their little ears," she said. "Watching their faces, I know I got through to them. I just hope it sticks."

Chris Tisch can be reached at 727 892-2359 or tisch@sptimes.com

For more about Sean Caroline or to contact Jeanne Caroline, visit www.seanneswish.com

[Last modified May 28, 2005, 00:25:19]